GUIDE

SHOULDER-TRAINING
By Urs Kalecinski

THE.MIRACLEBEAR
 CONTENT TABLE

PART I
Shoulder anatomy.........................................................4

PART II
Practical advice for training..................................7

PART III
Favorite exercises ........................................................10

PART IV
Example training routine ........................................14

By Urs Kalecinski

THE.MIRACLEBEAR
 INTRODUCTION

Hello!

My name is Urs Kalecinski.

For 12 years now I have been lifting
weights, building muscles and
working towards my dream body.
Currently, I am in the top 3 Mr.
Olympia Classic Physique Division,
and I have learned a lot along the
way about training. It is time to share
all my secrets with you. With my help
you can achieve your goals too! In
the following guide, I will teach you
how to train your shoulder with
success & REACH MAXIMUM
AESTHETIC

THE.MIRACLEBEAR
PART I:
SHOULDER ANATOMY

The visually visible shoulder muscles (deltoid)

can be divided into three areas. Anterior
deltoid (front delts), lateral shoulder (side
delts) and posterior shoulder (rear delts).
There are other small muscles that
functionally move, stabilize and support the
shoulder joint. Most of these have already
been explained in the back of the eBook
under the “rotator cuff”. Visually, this has no
significant impact on the shoulder.

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The deltoid has three functions.
1. The movement of the arm overhead, such
as when doing the shoulder press.
2. The abduction (spreading) of the upper
arm, such as when doing lateral raises.
3. Returning the hand with the upper arm
outstretched, such as in the reverse butterfly
internal rotation of the upper arm, i.e. an
inward rotation of the arm.

This is important for understanding the

appropriate exercise selection.

PART I:
PRACTICAL ADVICE
FOR TRAINING
It is important to warm up correctly before
shoulder training to avoid injuries! This is the
only way you can train successfully and make
progress in the long term.

Incorrect exercise selection, incorrect

technique as well as one-sided strain and
overzealous chest training can quickly lead to
shoulder problems.
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So be a little more forward-looking and think
long-term. Train your antagonists to the same
extent to avoid imbalances!
For most trainees, including me, the front
delts is the strongest or somewhat dominant,
as it is involved in a large number of exercises.
Especially when it comes to chest training.
That's why I pay a lot more attention to the
rear delts, because it doesn't get as much
training during back training as the front
shoulder does during chest training!

That's why I like to start training in an

unconventional way with the rear delts and
don't do any extra isolation exercises for the
front delts!

As a beginner, basic exercises such as

shoulder presses and military presses should
still be practiced in most cases! Unfortunately,
you cannot follow my training plans 1:1, as
they are individually designed for my
strengths and weaknesses!

What is important is an equally balanced

round shoulder for the so-called “3D look” that
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most of you want to achieve! Concentrate on
all possible variations of the lateral raise, as
the side delts have the greatest influence on
your physique.
As with all other muscle groups, regeneration
and sufficient rest between the next training
are crucial for growth. That's why you
shouldn't do shoulder exercises, for example,
the day before chest training.

At the beginning of my career, I liked to train

shoulders together with arms the day after
leg training and then have two days off
before the next chest training.

The optimal rep range for the shoulder is

between 5-20 depending on the exercise.

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The optimal volume per week for the shoulder
is probably a little lower than many people
think. Depending on how often the shoulder is
subjected to secondary or passive stress, in
most cases one shoulder workout per week is
enough for most trainees, as long as the
intensity is sufficient! The shoulder is put
under extreme strain during back and chest
training as well as other sports such as
boxing. You should definitely take this into
account if you still do martial arts or another
sport. For most people, 10-12 sets to absolute
muscle failure per week are enough for
optimal progress.

It is also important to stretch the shoulder

muscles to avoid shortening and to be able to
train over the full range of motion. You should
place intensive stretching, including longer
static holds, as far away as possible from
strength training. Cardio training combined
with stretching is perfect for this!

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PART III:
FAVORITE EXERCISES

In the following chapter I will introduce you to

my favorite exercises for the shoulders, which
I consider useful, including an explanation.

For the rear delts I have developed my own

exercise, the “BEAR REAR DELT ROW”. To do
this, I lie down on an inclined bench with my
chest at the end of the shelf.
Grab a well-loaded EZ bar on the outer edge
and pull your elbows vertically upwards. It is
important to keep your elbows in line with
your upper arms and not rotate inwards,
otherwise it becomes a rowing exercise!

I also like to use chest fly machines for the

rear delts, where I simply lie upside down on it
and push the handles up with the outside of
my hand!

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10
For the side delts, lateral raises in various
variations are best for me. After a lot of trial
and error, the seated version with dumbbells
has proven to be particularly effective. The
arms are slightly bent, not fully extended, and
the elbows pull the weight upwards to just
under a 90 degree angle. Here you can use a
little less weight than when standing and hit
your shoulder better. Try it out!

When standing, I currently like Jay Cutler's

cable side raise variation best. To do this,
place a rubber grip in the lowest area of the
cable and pull it upwards behind your body.
The advantage of this variant is the constant
tension and greater stretch in the shoulder,
which gives most people a stronger pump
and therefore a growth stimulus!

I currently don't have any special exercises in

my plan for the front delts because it's
already too much developed for me!
However, this is very individual and most of
you would be well advised to include an
exercise in your training plan. In my early
days, I made very good progress with the
shoulder press while sitting on the multi press
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as a basic exercise for the shoulders. You
adjust the seat slightly at an angle and not
completely upright, you let the bar down to
your chin and then push the bar up. Compared
to free shoulder presses, you can concentrate
more easily on the target muscles and don't
have to pay as much attention to coordination.
Personally, I like to switch up and mix in free
exercises every now and then and generally
only swap exercises if I have been stagnating
in an exercise for a long time. Here you can set
a new stimulus and activate more muscles with
a free variant.

PART IV:
EXAMPLE
TRAINING ROUTINE
Below I will provide you with a sample that
you are welcome to try out. I'm also looking
forward to your feedback on the plan on
Instagram. Of course, this plan is not optimal
for every person; it depends primarily on the
level of training as well as individual strengths
and weaknesses, which should be taken into
account when creating a holistic training
concept!
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Training Day: Shoulders

Exercise Sets Rep Range

Bear Rear
3 15,12,10
Delt Row
Seated
Dumbell 3 12
lateral raises
Cable Side
Raise „Cutler“ 3 10
Style

Smith
Machine
3 12,10,8
Shoulder
presses

For most of you, pure shoulder training will

not be necessary, it is best to combine this
plan with biceps or triceps, or integrate this
part of it into a “push” plan depending on
your current plan and training level.

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A few push-ups are an excellent
supplementary functional exercise, both to
warm up and to “burn out” at the end.
To warm up your shoulders and improve your
range of motion in the event of shortening or
shoulder problems, you should also
dynamically stretch your chest and shoulder
muscles at the beginning. Grab 2 TRX ropes
overhead with your hands and lean into them,
vary the angle slightly and move your arms.
The next option is the broomstick exercise
with a resistance band and you can then do a
few repetitions of reverse butterfly until your
rear delts are warmed up as well. Finally,
rotator cuff training with one arm on the
cable is suitable. Hold your upper arm close to
your body at a 90 degree angle with your
elbow and move your hand outwards with the
rope in your hand.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

This eBook was created by Urs Kalecinski and

is copyright protected. Any copy or unlawful
distribution of this document, including all
illustrations, is prohibited and will be
prosecuted in the event of a violation.

«Be the best version of yourself»

Urs Kalecinski

THE.MIRACLEBEAR

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